I am newly arrived from the UK and would greatly appreciate advice on the specific questions below on how I can align a satellite dish (never done this before) which I am going to buy and install myself so that I can use my Humax FreeSat PVR box (dual tuner, circa 3-4 years old brought with me from the UK where it worked perfectly) in order to watch uk Freesat channels here in Switz:
a) Is it correct that if I purchase a dish (at least 80-90cm based on advice on this forum) and align it correctly and connect it to the Human box then I will be able to receive UK Freesat channels here in Switz for free?
b) Is it correct that for UK Freesat channels I need to align the dish on the Astra2 satellite?
c) does anyone know the compass bearing and elevation on which the correct satellite e.g. Astra2 is (I am in Pfaffikon Sz) so that I can check that I will adequate have line of sight to it before I buy the dish, LNB and cables (as we live under quite a steep hill)?
d) I intend to follow these online instructions to set up the dish, can anyone confirm if they are still correct and up to date? http://www.astrosat.info/FAQs/Dish_I...tallation.html
e) Does anyone happen to know if the Human box has a satellite signal strength function (as I didn't bring my sky box with me, which did have that).
f) any other helpful tips greatly appreciated.
Many thanks, Mark

If you can buy or borrow a signal meter, that'll make life a lot easier.

Sorry, I don't know about the Humax (I assume that's what you meant), but I'd be surprised if it dodn't have some sort of signal quality indicator.

If you're only after the freesat stuff, then Zattoo may be easier than setting up Sky. Though it's not instantly on - you'd need to log in each time and select your channel (some apps/TVs are better than others for that), but it'll tide you over until you get your dish installed.

dishpointer.com for the rough alignment and elevation (about 32° where you are for 28.2°E). I'm near Geneva and get away with a 90cm dish, although I've also managed it with 60cm. Various reception reports here http://goo.gl/maps/Ha4xf

1. Check what you will receive through your cable TV provider. Most now have a decent selection of UK TV channels and it might be more convenient than a dish
2. I'm about 50Km due east of you and my 80cm dish now really struggles, particularly with HD signals (fortunately I can get most stuff via cable). I would suggest at least 90cm to cover nighttime and less than ideal weather.
3. I have found Humax boxes to have relatively weak tuners - I switched to a Technisat a while back and get a significantly better signal quality with that than the Humax I used to use

Thank so much to all of you for these hugely helpful replies all of which are really useful. Great technical knowledge esp on the future location of the sun!
Useful also to learn that the Humax box is not so powerful and also that I will need a 90cm dish which is pretty huge (landlord and village ok with the dish in principle).
I do already have a UPC Cablecom connection with the UK channels but I am installing a second TV upstairs and wanted to try and get them for free since I have the receiver/recorder box with me from the UK.
Am considering using a Devolo Sat Multi Tuner to then be able to send the sat signal to both tv's, if it works I could then cancel my UPC cablecom subscription. Anyone have any experience with that?

Thank so much to all of you for these hugely helpful replies all of which are really useful. Great technical knowledge esp on the future location of the sun!
Useful also to learn that the Humax box is not so powerful and also that I will need a 90cm dish which is pretty huge (landlord and village ok with the dish in principle).
I do already have a UPC Cablecom connection with the UK channels but I am installing a second TV upstairs and wanted to try and get them for free since I have the receiver/recorder box with me from the UK.
Am considering using a Devolo Sat Multi Tuner to then be able to send the sat signal to both tv's, if it works I could then cancel my UPC cablecom subscription. Anyone have any experience with that?

If I were you and providing cablings not a problem, I would put a good quality Twin-LNB head or Quad-LNB head (2 x live and 2 x record) on the dish and with that you resolve all your problem without having to pay for expensive Devolo Sat Multi Tuner which BTW might or might not work depending on wiring in the house!

Am considering using a Devolo Sat Multi Tuner to then be able to send the sat signal to both tv's, if it works I could then cancel my UPC cablecom subscription. Anyone have any experience with that?

If you cancel Cablecom, make sure they cover your wall socket, otherwise you have to still pay a 28CHF/month connection fee (usually buried in your nebenkosten). However, if you leave it open (ie not paying monthly cablecom bills, but only the 28CHF/monthly fee), then you will still have access to their "free" channels, which include local channels you won't get on SAT. You also get a free 2Mbps internet connection on the open socket as well. Just something to think about...

Fine Plan re Speckled Hen...supped slowly and followed perhaps by a London Pride...whilst listening to the second test commentary on TMS...
Does anyone know - if I get it all set up with my Humax receiver - will I be able to use BBC iPlayer as I did in the UK (which entailed pressing the red button whilst watching bbc1 from memory) or does it somehow detect that I am outside the UK?
BTW in case it is of interest to anyone, I have found the techmania.ch website pretty useful in terms of ordering all the required parts and cables. They have a very useful extension arm to be able to bolt the dish directly onto a balcony railing ("Mastausleger").

Does anyone know - if I get it all set up with my Humax receiver - will I be able to use BBC iPlayer as I did in the UK (which entailed pressing the red button whilst watching bbc1 from memory) or does it somehow detect that I am outside the UK?

I'm not familiar with the humax, but assuming that it really uses BBC iPlayer" from an internet connection internet then no, it won't work from a Swiss IP address. You'd need a VPN or similar to pretend you have a UK IP address for full access ( or a browser add-on like anonymoX which will allow live streaming but no download on your PC).